Salwater Sportsman Seminar Secrets

[MolarBoater]

COBIA (ling)

Thought to be a distant relative to the Remora, they are often first thought to be sharks until further inspection. The will hit most anything and become a little more picky as the season progresses.

March 20, is the average day they show up on the North Gulf Coast.
Late March to mid April, solitary arrivals cruising the beaches. Site fishing.
Mid April thru May, they associate more with each other, turtles, sharks and rays.
June-August they associate more with structure, anything that floats and stationary etc.

The cobes come in first followed by pompano, mackerel, dolphin etc.

Use jigs, squid, eels, catfish etc

Suggested rigs: 30lb main line, 80lb Fluro leader to a 4/0 hook.
or 30lb main line, 50lb Fluro leader to a 5/0 offset cirlce hook and live or plastic eel.

If casting to a group of Cobia, cast out a larger bait and the larger cobe will usually win!

Keys to success:
1. Sharp hooks as they have a hard mouth
2. Good baits
3. Accurate casting 5' past and 10' ahead

Many ladders are lashed to center consoles as Cobia lookouts, hold on tight cause the sea is usually rough this time of year!

They are the best tasting fish in the Salt.......if you disagree, just send me some and I will be happy to
give a second opinion! And a thrid, fourth or fifth.

[MolarBoater]

KING MACKEREL
(and to some extent, closer to the beach, Spanish)

68-72 degrees they start to show up.
They are sight and hearing feeders. They are beginning to become resident fish year round at oil rigs.

Look for structure and bait....blue runners. Look for emerald green water.

Run and Gun......cover as many spots as possible till you find them, oil rig hopping, basically.

Gulf kings, use #7 stinger wire leaders to a 5/0 nose hook and a #2 treble. Big blue runners as bait, might need two trebles. Use with a 100lb mini swivel.

East Coast, scale down the terminal tackle a bit.

Aslo, try diamond jigs @ 30' down oil rig legs.

Use ribbon fish on downriggers.

Always slow troll, light drags and let the fish have the hard first run then they usually come on in.

One suggested outfit: 7' light action tip roller guide rod, Penn 300 Torques with braid, 20lb mono top shot and fluro leader connected by blood knot.

I like to catch small kings to eat...usually less than 33 inches, a fat 29 incher tastes best. Gotta fry them up, easier to catch them with Strech 30's and cigar minnows.

For bigger macks, live blue runners and ribbon fish are standard.

Good fishing late May-July without having to go too far off shore.

[MolarBoater]

BOTTOM FISHING

structure and healthy live bait is primary. CHUM is highly recomended.

Gulp type bait can be used, sometimes.

Cut squid for vermillion snapper, cut cigar minnows for red snapper, live pinfish for amberjacks up off the bottom and grouper on the bottom.

Reading your sounder:
blobs can be schools of vermillions
stationary dots usually snapper, triggers
streaks and lines...moving fish usually amberjacks (usually deeper water)

These fish will not leave the structure, that is their safety area, you must mark the structure and position the boat correctly and anchor unless you have a dedicated helmsman.

Braid can increase your "feel" of the strike or use 60lb mono. Use fluro leaders, small circles and use your thumb on the line to feel the tap/strike.

Amberjacks, 60lb main line, 80lb leader to 6/0 hook to a pinfish. Weight on the main line.
Drop live bait down slow to prevent tangling.

If fishing oil rigs, etc, must pull fish away from structure to prevent cut offs.

Chum, use the same stuff as you are using for bait.